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Person of Interest Review: To Catch a Thief

With Reese returned from his Italy vacation rejuvenated - ready for action and without his depression beard - it was no surprise another mission was already lined up. The numbers just don’t stop.

Person of Interest Season 3 Episode 14 took a step back from the Machine saga, the battle involving Vigilance, Control and Root, in order to focus on a world-class thief looking for help with one last heist in order to save her daughter.

There’s no doubt this was a standalone hour, but for the most part, Person of Interest has found a way to make even the “filler” episodes worth watching. And “Provenance” delivered the fun.

Putting the characters in situations that don’t immediately involve gun play was the right choice to kick the story off. while garnering a little humor in the process. The ladies clearly love Reese and his “gorgeous” looks, and it’s probably an added bonus he can field strip a .45 upside down in the dark. We’ll give him a pass on the bow tie.

It was also nice to see Shaw try on something a little less dark and foreboding in color, and her sexy dress was a good look. Even Reese noticed she updated her arsenal. Oh, she can work it.

But the adventure of the week took a turn towards something Ethan Hunt or Danny Ocean might have gotten involved with as Lionel copied fingerprints, Finch excitedly used his 3D printer, Reese donned a goofy mustache and Shaw helped the acrobatic thief, Jiao Lin, avoid the last obstacles to the prize.

There’s something gleeful about watching Reese get into action mode after dryly responding "no" to whether he was carrying nuclear key codes, knocking the mark out and then ripping off his mustache. Plus, the music always pumps up those scene to another level.

And it was pretty impressive to witness Jiao swing her body from bar to bar (convenient placement, maybe, but it was too enjoyable to nitpick). Man, you’ve got to have some impressive upper body strength to do that. Seeing her use her skills rather than one of the core cast doing the work in the last step made her important to the task at hand. She wasn't just a bystander.

Even Lionel’s assistance and merriment at being involved with stealing the bible was another piece at providing a positive energy to the hour.

Good thing it all worked out and the day was saved.

Of course, an episode like this wouldn’t be complete without the gang altogether to revel in their win over drinks. But I was glad that even with Carter gone, she wasn’t and will never be forgotten.

For a show that has gotten pretty dark and serious with its story lines, there’s also something satisfying in the series’ ability to delve into the lighthearted. Sure, everything went according to plan and the surprises weren’t anything dramatic, but this Person of Interest episode was a fun and entertaining side adventure.